1. Field of the Invention
The present arrangement relates to tool support apparatus and more particularly pertains to a new and improved tool sharpening apparatus for cooperation with a grinding wheel which may adjustable in any of a variety of complex motions to surface grind a wide range of tool faces.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of securement apparatus for the sharpening of various instruments is well known in the prior art. As may be appreciated, these devices have been of a variety of organizations to enable sharpening of a wide range of instruments for sharpening and the like. Apparatus of the prior art has, in one form or another, failed to accommodate the varying range of instrument presentations to a grinding tool required in the sharpening and surface grinding of various tools and the like. While various prior art apparatus has attempted to resolve the problem of providing a plurality of motions to accommodate a plurality of grinding needs, they have typically been of unnecessarily complex and expansive structure in effecting this desired result. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,859,762 to Ludwig provides a reciprocating carriage and transverse positioners thereof to present a forward edge of a blade between a pair of grinding wheels for imparting a grinding utilizing convexly shaped grinding surfaces to present a larger number of cutting operations prior to the loss of effectiveness. The elaborate and complex structure of the Ludwig patent not only fails to provide the variable adjusting parameters of the instant invention but is limited to the type of tools that may be positioned between the noted grinding wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,965 to Deaton presents a scissor corrugating device wherein an upper guide attached to a file at upper end and a lower guide attached to the file at lower end is secured within a frame with a vice for securing the scissors and presenting the blade of the scissors at various angles to the file. The structure and organization of the Deaton patent is of a greatly limited utility as compared to the instant invention that enables multiple lateral and forward adjustments of a cutting tool relative to a grinding wheel as well as angular displacement of the cutting tool, as desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,011,366 to Sandven provides a blade sharpening jig wherein a clamping mechanism secures a blade to an underlying support whereby a file may be drawn supported by upwardly oriented rollers relative to the blade to grind an edge on the associated blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,971,408 to Robins sets forth a knife serrating apparatus where a clamping jig secures a knife relative to a rotating cutting blade to serrate an associate knife with means to enable repositioning of the knife to enable corrugating thereof therealong the blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,261 to Sheppard utilizes a tool indexing device of complex and multiple supports wherein a tool is advanced longitudinally with respect to a contact position to sharpen said blade wherein a plurality of "V" shaped grooves with an associated indexing block to enable sequential movement of the tool to be sharpened. As in other prior art references, the Sheppard patent is a relatively complex organization relative the instant invention and further does not provide the flexibility of the instant invention in accommodating a variety of blades and imparting any desired grinding contour to said blade.
As such, it may be appreciated that there is a continuing need for a new and improved tool sharpening apparatus which addresses both the problem of compactness and adjustability, and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.